‘Tis the season, am I right??? I cannot believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving and our house is already decorated for the holidays (exterior lights included). I am normally not the person to jump the gun with holiday decor, in fact prior to baby Ralph we would just put up a little tree in the living room. It’s amazing how much more ‘into’ the season you get after you have a baby (at least that is how it has been for me).

Now, back to holiday decor. I have shared snippets of our home on instagram stories and done a few blog posts (you can see Ralph’s room here & our formal living room sans decor here). Based upon those blog posts and of course the help of our talented designer, Cindy Sontag, you might be able to tell that we are a less is more kind of family over here. We don’t like a lot of clutter and are fairly minimal yet (what I think is) tasteful when it comes to decor (meaning ‘over doing it’ isn’t our thing).

When it was time to decorate for holiday, you better believe that I called Cindy Sontag to help. I mean how on earth am I supposed to decorate for holiday without her help?? This is the second house we have done together, so at this point I can’t even pick a candle color without her (you probably think I am crazy but it’s true).

In my opinion holiday decor can be tricky. Like extremely tricky and VERY overwhelming. Every site seems to have so many options and to be honest, I did not even know where to start. Cindy suggested that we start by looking at Williams Sonoma because they are very ‘on brand’ for our home style. We started by picking the tree (we went with this one) and ended with wreaths for the front door to compliment everything from the tree skirt to the garland (who knew that garland could compliment stockings and a candle).

To be honest, it was really nice ordering everything from one place and even nicer when everything from Williams Sonoma arrived (in a timely manor). Plus, everything was even prettier in person (if that is even possible). I just love the way this room turned out for the holidays and baby Ralph is LOVING looking at his tree (every night before bed we go and tell the tree ‘night night’.

It really is amazing to me that by adding just a few key items from Williams Sonoma, we are completely decorated for holiday! Okay, here is the best part about this blog post (hopefully you made it this far) BUTTTT Williams Sonoma has decided to be OH so gracious and help you jumpstart your holiday decorating by giving away the exact tree skirt, blanket, peppermint bark, hot chocolate and the candle pictured in this blog post.

How amazing is that???

***This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner, Caroline Schreiber. Thank you to all who entered and I plan to do more giveaways in the future!***

To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog post with your email address and tell me your favorite thing about the holidays (can be anything from sleeping in, sitting by the fire, holiday lights, being with family, shopping..literally ANYTHING)! You can enter as many times as you want (more power to you if comment 100 times). Entries must be posted by the end of day (11:59pm CST) Monday, November 26th, and one winner will be chosen at random (by random.org) and announced on this post the following day. Good luck!

[No purchase necessary to enter, only open to US readers with a US shipping address. Please only enter via making a comment (with your e-mail address). $467 total value. Winner of the giveaway will be contacted via email once the giveaway closes and announced on this post soon after.]

Love how simple and put together your house looks. My favorite thing around the holidays is trying to guess our puff ball present. It’s a tradition we have done since I was little and the gift is in a brown bag with a poem relevant to your life that year with hints to guess what is in the brown bag. Sometimes I guess it but sometimes I don’t and have to recruit help from the family.

This is absolute perfection, Amy! Major holiday goals. My favorite thing about the holidays is that it’s the perfect excuse to slow down and spend time with family and friends. So many parties and reasons to celebrate–it’s all so cheerful and fun! E: kellykikico@gmail.com

Lovely!! Just the perfect amount of festive. One of my favorite things is taking a little nap at my mom’s house in front of the tree. I have fallen asleep staring at the tree for years and it literally is my favorite nap of the year.

GORG! My favorite thing to do around the holidays is stroll around Highland Park Village at night with the BF, sipping on hot chocolate (and a little peppermint schnapps lol)! The lights can’t be beat!meghanalmond@gmail.com

I love all those decorations!! So classically festive. My favorite thing is after church on Christmas eve, my family watches a Christmas movie together and we eat ALL THE SNACKS (pigs in a blanket, cookies, veggies and dip – you name it, we’ve got it!!) It’s my favorite meal of the whole year!kellymullican@gmail.com

Your previous home gave me so much inspiration when decorating my home and I LOVE my home! Your new home has definitely given me further inspiration. The living room here is definitely something I will look at when finishing our basement decor! Keep posting for us! Thank you! My favorite part of the holidays is the extra time spent with family because of holiday’s off work!!We need more!! gmisenhelter@gmail.com

Hi, Amy! I love the simplicity and elegance in your holiday decorations!

My favorite thing about the holidays is celebrating each other from family to friends and neighbors. Coming together and celebrating is what life is all about. The holidays gives us all the opportunity to do things for others that we might not always be able to do.

Your house is stunning Amy! Love following along in Instagram! Thanks for the fun giveaway! Favorite for me, giving to others!!!! We always adopt a needy family and that part is especially rewarding. Lots of tears every time! Happy Holidays!

Your house looks soo lovely!!! There are so many things that I love about holidays!!! My favorite though is CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS and that now we can decorate our new house! Aw and one more favorite thing- Candles!!! I love Christamas Candles with Pine, Vanila and all other festive notes!

Love love love this! You’re style and look is classic and lovely! I plan on shopping at WS for these goodies! Isn’t this time of year the absolute best? I mean seriously….a chill I the air, fireplace roaring, pies in the oven all combine to the best aroma and peaceful atmosphere. Then sprinkle in my family and I am in heaven on earth! Thanks for posting and I can’t woit to use your ideas in my hone this Christmas season. Xoxoxo

So so beautiful and classic as always, Amy! You’re my favorite to follow on Instagram! Love everything from your home, your sweet baby Ralph, all the yummy Mexican food posts and so much more! Merry Christmas! ❤️

My soon to be favorite thing will be watching my little girl wake up to Christmas! She’s a little over 2 and is already pointing out lights and Santa; we might have decorated a little early just for her 🙂

I love the holidays and get excited when the radio stations dedicate 24/7 time to Christmas music. But my favorite part of the holiday season is seeing how much happier and honestly “jolly” people are with each other! Happy Holidays Email: F.beene@gmail.com

Always love seeing the magic you and Cindy create!! My favorite part of the holiday is my new in-laws family tradition: a day of Christmas Eve activities! Breakfast, a movie, candlelight service at church and then fresh crabs flown in from Maryland, where they’re from, for dinner!

Everything looks so festive! My favorite thing about the holidays is cooking with my momma! Being in the kitchen with everyone crowding around the bar is the best!!! I can’t wait until my kids are old enough to help. The best memories!

Your holiday decor is flawless! So many things I love about the holidays..the food, a warm, cozy,decorated house, but lately it’s been all about starting new traditions with my 2 year old. Having a kid definitely brings the magic back into the season and has made everything a little more special.

My favorite thing is Christmas morning. Because overnight when everyone is sleeping I pack the tree with gifts and thevstockings. I love then making a big brunch with homemade cinnamon rolls. Cheers to your family!

Favorite thing about the holidays is the couple of days when everything slows down and we get to experience the magic and wonder as if we were a child again. I love the lights, the smells and the time spent with family. Truly treasure the time with family as we get older and busier. Your home is absolutely beautiful! What a dream to live in a winter wonderland.

My favorite part of the holidays is starting new traditions as we became a family of 3 recently, including picking out our Christmas tree, riding around to look at all of the beautifully decorated homes in our neighborhood and indulging in delicious holiday treats.

Love your holiday decor! My favorite part of the holidays is seeing it through my three-year-old son’s eyes – everything is so magical! Plus, this year is our daughter’s first Christmas – let the celebrations begin!!

Lindsay.kittrell@gmail.com
My favorite thing about the holidays is all the festive events leading up to Christmas! Santa visits, Botanical garden Lights at night, gift exchange parties and parades. Everyone is so happy and into holiday spirit!

My favorite thing about the holiday is the joy it brings. We have many traditions as a family, we decorate the tree together, walk down Christmas Tree Lane together and wrapping gifts with my mom is always something I look forward too.

This is amazing! This is my second year as a mother at Christmas. My new favorite thing is watching him see all of the lights and excitement that’s involved with the holiday season! Laurenawhite@gmail.com

My dad makes homemade apple cinnamon pancakes every Christmas and he always makes me one pancake with chocolate chips because he knows its my favorite. My most favorite special family holiday tradition.

Your house is beautiful! I love all your simple but classic and a bit fun details!
My favorite party of the holidays is the decorations and the smell and glow of the Christmas tree in the house…and of course the excitement of my children during this time of year!

I love the tree and garland! I wonder if Ralph will want to get into the gift boxes early! I’m looking forward to sharing all the holiday events and cheer with our little one for his first Christmas – including gifts around the tree!

My favorite part of Christmas is spending it with my family. Waking up and watching the kids open their presents. Building gingerbread houses, drinking hot cocoa by the fire. I always make an overnight breakfast casserole the night before and love just popping it in the oven Christmas morning. Playing family board games. It’s really about spending memorable times with the family for me. Love it all!

As soon as I saw your post I fell in love with the tree skirt! Your home looks gorgeous for the holiday season. My favorite thing about the holidays is we take our almost four year old son to a big holiday light display. It is massive and seems to grow every year. I love bundling up and going to see all the lights and then we usually go out to a cute and cozyItalian restaurant after.

I grew up in NJ, about 30 minutes outside of Manhattan. I love traveling from Dallas back home and spending a full day walking around the city admiring all of the department store windows, especially Bergdorf Goodman’s! Can’t wait to fly home in a month ❤️ emilyannemain@gmail.com

Your home is stunning ! You have done an amazing job with your holiday decorations! My favorite party of the holiday is baking and cooking for family and friends and spending some very relaxed moments with my family. Happy Holidays!

My husband is from Northern Ireland and we go back every year for Christmas. We stay at at Baronscourt Estate and they always decorate our cottage with a Christmas tree. This has definitely become my favorite holiday tradition!

My favorite thing about the holidays is that each person in my family (of all girls) decides to cook one dish. We spend Christmas afternoon cooking together while dancing and singing to everything from the Sound of Music to Lil Wayne. meg.mcgaheegmail.com

My favorite thing about the holidays is that each member of my family (of all girls) decides to cook one dish for dinner. We spend Christmas afternoon cooking together and singing and dancing for anything from the Sound of Music to Lil Wayne.Meg.mcgahee@gmail.com

Favorite part…is having a 1 1/2 year old!!! Santa and family presents will be so fun this year! (Of course giving back, honestly nothing better than being able to provide for famities that cant). Anyways!!!!!! Paigedolezel@gmail.com

Love your style and baby Ralph. Favorite Christmas memories New Christmas PJ’s left out on Christmas Eve by the PJ elf, picking out a special ornament each year with my daughter, decorating gingerbread houses and being with family.

I love William Sonoma all year long but especially during the holidays! Their peppermint bark helloooooo. Would love this prize we just moved into our new home and need a little help with decorating while everything is in boxes. Love your blog and Ralph!

I love giving back to people who may not have family, friends or food. The holidays can be stressful,but I think it’s important to be grateful for all you have even if it’s not much. Love your holiday wreaths by the way! Excited to replicate that 🙂

So many fave traditions but one is wrapping gifts. I abs LOVE placing gifts in old school boxes … (so not a gift bag girl)… and choosing coordinating wrapping g paper/ribbons/tags each year to complement our tree.

Beautiful!!Cassidi.sam@gmail.com
Holiday decorating can be so tricky like you said! I love being with family and the Christmas Eve service at church is always my favorite.
Happy thanksgiving to you and your family!!

My favorite thing about Christmas time is spending time with my family. I’ve worked many holidays in the medical field, and I’m extra thankful when I have the holiday off and can spend it with the ones I love. Christmas is my favorite time of the year!!

I love to drive our golf cart around our neighborhood with our 4 year old boy and 2 year old twin boys! To see the look on their faces is absolutely magical! It’s all about the little things, and adorable children , of course!

My favourite thing about the holidays is Christmas Eve! My husband and I have our own tradition of having a baked Brie with all the dippers and a bottle of amazing wine in our Christmas PJs. It’s our splurge and we exchange a gift! I adore the bar cart! And I need some peppermint bark after seeing this post now!

One of my favorite things about the holidays is going to church on Christmas Eve with my family! I love walking into a quiet sanctuary that is thick with His presence and the reverence is tangible. Being reminded and celebrating the coming of our Savior puts me into a position of worship and shifts my heart back to Him. Merry Christmas!! ❤️

Love your clean yet festive decor!!! I love traditions that we have started with our kids. We all go to pick our live tree out on the day after Thanksgiving and we have all the grandparents come over the following day for dinner and tree decorating:)

I love everything about the holidays but now with kids seeing their excitement is the best. Not just for the presents – their wonder when we go look at lights, introducing Christmas movies to them, all of it is so much better through their eyes.

My favorite thing about the holiday season is traditions! On Christmas Eve, my family goes to the candlelight service at our church, Luby’s for dinner, then to Highland Park Village for Starbucks and to look at christmas lights. We’ve gone to Luby’s for as long as I can remember (no clue why!). On Christmas day, we head to the lake house to gather with family. Such a great season! ashleighgholden@gmail.com

Every year we get hot chocolate and look at Christmas lights, this year we get to share this special time with our sweet baby boy!!! Family time, shopping, and all the yummy food are some of our other favorites! Ps. I LOVE your house!!

My most favorite thing about the holidays is reminiscing with family and friends around mealtimes. Holidays mean seeing the people you love most and there is nothing as fun as thinking back on your lovely memories with one another.

I love how simple and decluttered your decorating is! My favorite part of this Christmas is getting to enjoy feeling my twins move around in my belly. My husband should be able to feel the kicks by Christmas and I cannot wait!

Classy AF decor. I love turning off all of the lights in the room and just staring at the Christmas tree – something I’ve been doing since I was a wee little one. Love seeing each ornament that has it’s own special meaning/story.

Your home is absolutely stunning and I love how you’ve decorated for the holidays! Christmas is my favorite time of year and getting my house all decked out is something I look forward too throughout the year!

Looks so good! My favorite thing about the holidays is family tradition. Some of my favorites have been cutting down a Christmas tree, playing ping pong with grandma on Christmas Day, and of course Christmas jammies!

I love what you have done with the new house and how you have incorporated the traditional style of Christmas. My favorite thing about the holidays is being around family and keeping traditions you grew up with and bringing them into your own family. Also, watching Christmas movies while Christmas decorations are up!! christina.dannenmaier@gmail.com

Our favorite Christmas tradition is champagne & a Christmas movie with the fireplace going in our family room on Christmas Eve! I love to go full out with Christmas decor I’m every room, but our family room is where we do the real tree and our pups favorite spot to hangout.

My birthday is a few days before Christmas, so I always get to celebrate my birthday and the Christmas season by being around all of my favorite people! I love the family traditions we do around the holidays and all of the decor!

Love the classic Christmas decor without overdoing it!! Looks beautiful. My favorite memory is definitely matching Christmas pajamas with the whole extended family each year. We just bought a new house here in Dallas so I am looking forward to creating new holiday memories and decorating our new home for Christmas.

Absolutely stunning! Thank you for the inspiration❤️ My favorite thing about the holidays are being surrounded by family, delicious food and cheersing with yummy cocktails!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!

My favorite thing about the holidays is spending time with family. I live in a different city from my parents and sister and always love when we gather together for the holidays. We spend time doing holiday traditions such as making cookies and watching holiday movies.

So many things to list but here are a few of my fave: spending time with family, cozy weather/clothes, Christmas music, having wine with girlfriends while doing a gift exchange, ALL the love that goes around.

I love decorating the tree as a kid and now because I have my mother’s ornaments. She is no longer with us but it brings back happy memories and I try to make it an exciting time for my boys as she did with me.

I love your style, so chic and classic! My favorite part of the holidays is putting up the Christmas villages my mom left to me. They bring back so many cherished memories of setting them up all over our home growing up and it makes it feel as if she’s with us during the holiday season.

The holidays have been tough ever since my dad passed away three years ago, so my favorite thing to do is spend as much time with my family as I can! It doesn’t matter what we do, as long as we are together. <3

Oh my gosh your house is a dream! We really should get you and Kristin King (Gray) and her little Caroline together for a play day with Ralph! (I married her brother Kevin, hence the TCA connection!) I would die to be able to decorate this way for Christmas!

My favorite part of the holidays is spending time with my mother❤️ It’s her favorite time of year and it’s so fun to watch her act like a kid each year! This year is extra special as she is a lung cancer survivor, a true miracle!
Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Family traditions that have been carried on since my father and his siblings were young…now all 22 family members gather on three different weekends starting after thanksgiving to pick Christmas tees, make sand tart cookies, and make Perogi.

Family traditions that have been upheld since my father and his siblings were kids. All 22 of us gather on three different weekends starting after thanksgiving every year. Cutting down Christmas trees, making sand tart cookies, and making Perogi.

1. Sleeping in
2. Being with family
3. Christmas cookies
4. Christmas cookies
5. The spirit of Christmas in the air
6. Not grading papers for 2 weeks!!
7. Christmas movies
8. A break from my lovely students

I love it all!! We kick off the season by taking a family trip the day before Thanksgiving to pick out a Christmas ornament at what used to be Marshall Fields and it’s a really special tradition that I try to always make it home for, no matter how far away I live. Then obviously I love a good Christmas movie … “Christmas Vacation” or bust. On Christmas Eve, we go to an afternoon mass with a children’s choir – it’s so cute and it reminds me of how magical this holiday can be.cmc1891@gmail.com

My favorite thing about the holiday season is spending time with loved ones! I also love curling up on the couch to watch a Christmas movie with the lights from the tree as the only other light in the room!

OBSESSED with the dark gift boxes and red ribbon. May copy that ! Now that I have a little one I absolutely love seeing his eyes light up when we go to any store that has Christmas themed items. Seeing lights, nut crackers, santa’s, is like all of his dreams coming true! Seeing the holidays theough the eyes of a toddler is the most magical thing of all! ❤️

Your home is holiday (and everyday) perfection! So classic and chic. I’d have to say I have three favorites during Christmas time- the first is visiting NYC, seeing a show, and shopping until my legs give out every year. The second is midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The third is having our family over on Christmas Day and drinking mimosas in pjs alllll day. Happy Holidays!

I love taking the extra days after Thanksgiving to turn on Christmas music in the house, make a coffee and pull out all my Christmas decorations to get started on getting the whole house ready for December!

My church also has a Greening (it’s this Wednesday!!) where the whole congregation gets together, sings carols, and decorates the church for Christmas! It’s such a fun way to start the season. And it keeps the real reason of Christmas in the fore-front of our minds.skylarbreegonzales@gmail.com

Everything’s PERFECTION! You and Cindy are a design duo! I love the sweet memories that decorating for Christmas allows us to have with family! I’m definitely going to do the hanging wreaths on my doors and windows 😉

You decor is so beautiful and classic! I love it!
My favorite part of the holiday season is Christmas Eve – we always get to open one gift from a family member after attending Christmas mass and hosting dinner with friends. It’s a long night but so much fun.harvey.deirdre@gmail.com

This is just so lovely. I love how nice people are to each other during the holidays. Everyone is happy and thoughtful. I’m always sad when the season ends because then we all go back to normal. I try to hold on to the spirit as long as I can.

I adore how you so elegantly bring spaces together that also make it feel homey. My favorite holiday rituals would have to be driving around looking at lights in different neighborhoods, and finding so much joy in giving back.

I hope Ralph has a wonderful Christmas! Can’t wait to see upcoming holiday posts!